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Viral Video Captures Water Buffalo Flipping a Lion into Mid Air to Defend Herd Mate

A young male lion in South Africa discovered that it had taken on more than it could chew when a water buffalo flipped the lion several feet into the air in a daring attempt to rescue a fallen comrade. The captivating scene was captured in a video that has been watched more than 23 million times on YouTube.

A pair of lions stalked a buffalo for 45 minutes before finally launching onto its back; just as things began to look dire, a second buffalo came to the scene and pitched the lion off the buffalo using his horns. The entire scene was caught on camera by a father and son team Ian and Oliver Matheson, who often visit the Kruger National Park in South Africa, where the action took place. Perhaps most amazingly, after the entire ordeal was over, all of the animals walked away, seemingly unharmed.

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Slideshow

Viral Video Captures Water Buffalo Flipping a Lion into Mid Air to Defend Herd Mate

Oliver and Ian Matheson Lion Flipped by Water Buffalo in South Africa

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A young male lion in South Africa discovered that it had taken on more than it could chew when a water buffalo flipped the lion several feet into the air in a daring attempt to rescue a fallen comrade. The captivating scene was captured in a video that has been watched more than 23 million times on YouTube.